Cadillac

These days, automakers routinely unveil concept cars and new models at major auto shows. Back in its heyday, General Motors played by a different set of rules. It organized its own car shows under the Motorama banner. Running throughout the 1950s, Motoramas were GM’s opportunity to showcase its products to the public and whet consumers’ appetites. Few Motorama cars were as showy as the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham Town Car concept. Unveiled at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan for the 1956 “Highway of Tomorrow” Motorama, the Brougham Town Car was a concept for a chauffeur-driven version of the production Cadillac Brougham that hit the market the following year. The Town Car featured a half roof that left the driver, in classical style, exposed to the elements, and created a split cabin. Up front, the chauffeur sat in the open air surrounded by black leather and chrome. In back, the pampered occupants were coddled in beige leather, deep-pile Wilton carpeting and gold trim covering everything from the tissue dispenser and decanter to the bulkhead-mounted phone used to speak to the driver. Read more…

The boys and girls at Cadillac have taken their newest toy out to play. The CTS-V Coupe race car got its first sampling of track time at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida earlier this week. Drivers Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim took time behind the tiller for the car’s first real shake down as the car and team prep for the first race of the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge GT. The series kicks off in St. Petersburg, Florida from March 25 to 27.

As you may recall, it’s been a good long while since the Crest last suited up to go fender-to-fender. The company last competed in the World Challenge GT series in 2007. At that time, Cadillac had campaigned a CTS-V sedan for three seasons. General Motors is hoping that taking to the track once again will help establish the CTS-V Coupe as a legitimate performance competitor capable of taking on the best that Germany has to offer. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Cadillac has never made anything like the CTS-V Coupe, a $63,000 monster that’s half hedonist and half hot-rod. Not only that, Cadillac’s never fought in this part of the market before. The brand had monster engines back in its early days, but they were always pulling monster barges that wallowed as much as, well, barges. Here we have a coupe promising to cut up the roads like one of those German knives, but we’ve heard that refrain so many times before. This time, however, it might be true.

Car and Driver is reporting that the often-reported Cadillac flagship is at a crossroads. There have been many rumors that the planned range-topper will wind up as a rear-wheel drive, high-end luxury sedan slotting above the production version of the XTS Platinum (the concept version of which is shown above). Now C/D has apparently been hearing whispers that it may in fact show up as a mid-engined sports car.

While the thought of a luxurious, mid-engined ZR1 sounds appealing, we’ll file this in the don’t-hold-your-breath category. Although, if the company is brassy enough to build the ultra low-volume CTS-V Sport Wagon, then perhaps anything is possible.

Cadillac trotted out its new new pitchman during the Rose Bowl on New Year’s day, with Laurence Fishburne starring in a pair of new spots that show off Cadillac’s 556-horsepower CTS-V Coupe and Sedan.

The first commercial, which runs a full minute in length, takes aim at cold, “blue-blooded” luxury, then goes on to explain why the CTS-V has personality, gusto and glamor when compared to other high performance luxury offerings. The second, 30-second spot takes a slightly more artistic approach, and you can check them both out after the jump.